If you’re a B2B IT Marketer you’re probably trying to work out the best ways to utilise the power of the worls favourite B2B social platform, LinkedIN.
LinedIn operate some fairly strict rules on how to network with people that leaves many thinking that it’s too hard to build your network. But before you give up remember this. By the biggest users of LinkedIn are IT workers, finance workers and Business leaders (yes – potentially IT buyers). For many it’s a way of getting the next job, so their profiles are very insightfull – the sort of acurate insight that marketers cry about. The sort of insight that enables you to target by job title, country, interest, company, past company or past university.
Create a profile that sings
How many of us have the sort of LinkedIn profile that sends people to sleep (I’m putting my hand up here). The truth is before you start trying to send prospects to your profile you want to make it memorable. No I don’t mean a transcript of your career, I mean make it personal – Tell people what you think, what you’re passionate about, why you do what you do. Being human is a good thing and it will make anyone want to connect with you. They will not nessessarily want to connect just because you have accreditation for PRINCE 2.
Talk from the heart. Entertain, be cheeky, charismatic.
Get recommendations & Endorsements
Nothing sells credibility like a testimonial from a past client or employer. Don’t go overboard, 2 great recommendations from a CEO is worth 1000’s of old collegues telling everyone how much fun you are to work with.
Optimise for your Keyword
It’s a little known fact that LinkedIn works in the same way any search engine works, it needs key word to rank you in any search result. To this end it makes sence to ensure you get ranked for the key words you need to ne associated with. Take a look at my profile, I need to rank for certain key word related to the industry I serve. LinkedIn will rank you higher if you have more of the key words in your profile. Theres’ a number of way you can do this, As a consultant I prefer to use the job role setting which can be editied through your profile.
Include your RSS Feed
Please include a feed link from your company blog on each of your key profiles. This not only help with backlinking to your company web site from a high ranking site which will help your SEO but will also help your networking as many prefer to follow rather than connect.
Test an Ad Campaign
Advertising on LinkedIn can be very targeted and, as a result, net good yeilds. But if you are going to set up a campign make sure your offer is compelling and your company page can convert (turn click into calls)
Join Groups to connect with people
This is where you network with your target audience. This is where you find out hat they are talking about, This is where you work out how you can influence these discussions. Don’t try to sell anything, IT buyers are wise they’ll want you to demonstrate you can add value, and if you’re interesting they go to your message.
Discuss topics of interest
It takes time to build a reputation on LinkedIn, but once you’ve done it you have an audience for life, so it’s worth the effort. LinkedIn is no place for wallflowers, if you have valueabel content or some thing you want to discuss find the right groups for it’s outlet. Check the group stats to make sure you’re working with an audience that fits your target and there’s enough of them to justify the effort.
Use Polls
Polls are a great way to understand current thinking within your target groups if the questions you ask of relevant and are going to be of enough interest to get someone wondering what the results will be.
If you’re struggling to get the most out of your LinkedIn presence, get in touch to discuss what you could be doing.